The History and Relevance of Anomie
Anomie, as defined by the text, is a concept developed by Emile Durkheim that encompasses the supposed fugue that an individual experiences when cut off from society. It is the result of multiple levels of inclinations and expectations placed upon a person in a society which lacks "clear, strong, collective ideas about things". To Durkheim, anomie came out of a shift away from mechanical solidarity to organic solidarity. (Ritzer, 2007 p. 17-18).
Durkheim first wrote about anomie in 1893, in his book The Division of Labor in Society. He defined it as a sense of normlessness from which deviance might develop (Hewett). As he considered anomie to be pathological, it was a curable state (Ritzer, 2007 p. 18) rather than a permanent one. The state of anomie could be triggered by sudden change, whether positive or negative. Later, anomie was used in a discussion not only in crime but in suicide. He published a book in 1897, using the term in his study on Suicide (Hewett).
Although Emile Durkheim "defined" anomie in his book, it was not a term that had not before appeared in published text. In 1887, Guyau used the term in reference to Kant’s concept of autonomy. Guyau's book was reviewed by Durkheim, and while it is debated whether or not he learned the concept of anomie from Guyau, it is at the very least clear that he knew about it and its existence in publication before he published The Division of Labor in Society (Mestrovic p. 119).
Is anomie relevant in today's society? In a study on the phenomenon of "cyberloafing" in the workplace, whereby employees spend a certain number of work hours on the internet for personal business, De Lara explored the possibility that anomie might be a contributing factor. In explaining his reasoning, De Lara cites social economics, which seek to describe the input and output that people put into and get out of relationships, and how they modify their behavior when the work/reward ratio is uneven (p. 465).
In his study, he related the term "anomie" both to its development by Durkheim and later Robert Merton, and a theory by Leo Srole. In order to distinguish his study as a psychological endeavor, rather than a sociological one, he employed the word "anomia" rather than anomie. The study used, and expanded upon, Srole's five item scale that included a sense by the individual that his or her leader is indifferent to the individual's needs (p. 465).
De Lara cites some impressive sounding statistics. In 1999, cyberloafing cost businesses 5.3 billion dollars, and a survey of works in the U.S. found that sixty-four percent admitted that they surfed the internet for recreational purposes during work hours (p. 464). Rather than get mired in statistics, it is important to keep these numbers in perspective. First, it is not stated how the supposed 5.3 billion dollar loss was calculated. Secondly, it is all but inevitable that employees will spend a certain amount of time at work doing non-work related activities. Whether that be socializing, daydreaming, or internet browsing, it is impossible for people to keep up a constant, unchanging level of activity for eight hours or more. He cites that cyberloafing can result in a 30-40% loss of productivity (p. 465), yet it is unclear whether or not this figure takes into account varying amounts of productivity while doing job related work.
That aside, anomie could conceivably be a major factor in cyberloafing. If Srole's five item scale is taken into account, one could see how perceived indifference on behalf of the employer could lead to an increase in cyberloafing. More generally, if cyberloafing is taken to be random, inexact browsing (perhaps an action-oriented manifest of daydreaming), one could see how anomie's normlessness could be the result of inexact goals and job descriptions. In a factory, one's job description is very rigid and defined. In an office setting, that job description can become much more general.
Anomie
can be used to explain a number of contemporary phenomena that results
from the incorporation of technology into work and home life, but care
must be taken not to downgrade anomie to a catch all term; not all
unproductive behaviors, nor all deviant behaviors, can be explained
away simply by claiming a lack of norms.
Resources
Amy'
Personal Wiki
Roster
Home